Worldwide Sports News

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, we survived the week. Let’s give ourselves a collective pat on the back. To celebrate, we can get excited over the fact that baseball games return today. Sure, it’s Spring Training and you can tell me all day these games don’t count, but this is the first baseball we’ve seen since October, so I’ll take what I can get, even if it is a game against the White Sox.

We’ve got news below updating the Tony Clark situation with the MLBPA, and introducing his interim replacement. We look at some up-and-coming prospects, and also spotlight when some current stars might be hanging up their cleats for good.

Plent to look forward to, plus baseball, so let’s just get right into it.

• Patrick Andres reports on the MLBPA’s interim executive director, Bruce Meyer.
• Meyer is apparently “passionate” about protecting player rights, shares Jesse Rogers.
• Stephanie Apstein digs into the scandal behind Tony Clark’s exit and what it means for the MLBPA.
• Ben Clemens and Sean Dolinar introduce us to FanGraphs Labs, sure to delight baseball data nerds everywhere.
• Bryan Hoch looks at Jazz Chisholm Jr and his quest to join the 50/50 club.
• Sonja Chen reports that Freddie Freeman would like to play until he’s 40 and retire with the Dodgers.
• Do these odds feel right?

• Evidently, Mountain Dew Baja Blast is the official soft drink of Major League Baseball.
• Davy Andrews asks an important Olympics question: which baseball players would make the best ice dancers?
• Anthony Castrovince wonders if we are selling Paul Skenes short with the “ace” label.
• Madison Williams reports that ESPN will replace Sunday Night Baseball with a full slate of women’s sports coverage.
• Buster Olney ranks the best first basemen in baseball.
• Jim Bowden looks at the rookies to keep an eye on in Spring Training. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• The Tigers have unveiled new home and road alternates and they’re pretty swanky.

• Davy Andrews has some fun with meaningless splits.
• The Brewers and Pat Murphy are in agreement on a new 3-year deal. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Is the AL East the most stacked division in baseball? (MLB)
• Stephen J. Nesbitt shares how Team America finally managed to convince the best pitchers in the game to participate. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• We love a WBC hype video.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

The Atlanta Braves got a taste of the future of umpiring this week, testing Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball Strike Challenge System during Spring Training in North Port. The system gives teams two opportunities per game to challenge a called ball or strike and forced Braves players and coaches to begin adjusting to what feels like a new strike zone. 

MLB plans to implement the challenge system league wide in 2026, making this spring an important trial run. While the technology has been tested in the minor leagues, its arrival in big league games will add a new layer of strategy and decision making that could subtly shift the rhythm of every matchup.

More Braves News:

A healthy Austin Riley might be the key for Atlanta’s offense this year, and here’s why. 

Gabe Burns of the AJC discussed how prospect JR Ritchie can help the 2026 Braves.

MLB News:

Bob Melvin is returning to the A’s, this time as a special assistant to the baseball operations department. 

Back in January, arbitration-eligible players and teams who did not come to an agreement on a salary for the 2026 season at the deadline had to file for the salary they thought the player deserved. This year, 18 players exchanged figures with their clubs to head to arbitration. The Brewers had just one player among that 18, the same one they couldn’t agree with at the deadline last year, William Contreras.

Now that we’re into spring training, the hearings are all done and the verdicts delivered. Some of the 18 players were able to settle with their teams before going into a hearing, however.

The Brewers and William Contreras were one such example of that. Contreras filed for a $9.9 million salary while the Brewers filed at $8.55 million, but ultimately, just before heading into a hearing, the two settled on a $9.4 million salary with a club option for $14.5 million in 2027, Contreras’ last year of team control. That $9.4 million salary figure is a new record for a second-year arb-eligible catcher.

Here’s a quick rundown on the rest of the players who filed for salary figures after that January deadline:

• Reid Detmers (filed at $2.925 million, Angels at $2.625 million) – Angels won hearing
• Yainer Díaz (filed at $4.5 million, Astros at $3 million) – Díaz won hearing
• Isaac Paredes (filed at $9.95 million, Astros at $8.75 million) – Agreed to $9.35 million contract with club option for 2027 at $13.35 million
• Eric Lauer (filed at $5.75 million, Blue Jays at $4.4 million) – Blue Jays won hearing
• Dylan Lee (filed at $2.2 million, Braves at $2 million) – Lee won hearing
• Bryce Miller (filed at $2.625 million, Mariners at $2.25 million) – Agreed to a $2.4375 million contract with club option for 2027 at $6.075 million
• Calvin Faucher (filed at $2.05 million, Marlins at $1.8 million) – Marlins won hearing
• Cade Cavalli (filed at $900,000, Nationals at $825,000) – Agreed to a $870,000 contract with a club option for 2027 at $4 million
• Kyle Bradish (filed at $3.55 million, Orioles at $2.875 million) – Bradish won hearing
• Keegan Akin (filed at $3.375 million, Orioles at $2.975 million) – Orioles won hearing
• Edwin Uceta (filed at $1.525 million, Rays at $1.2 million) – Uceta won hearing
• Graham Ashcraft (filed at $1.75 million, Reds at $1.25 million) – Ashcraft won hearing
• Tyler Stephenson (filed at $6.8 million, Reds at$6.55 million) – Stephenson won hearing
• Vinnie Pasquantino (filed at $4.5 million, Royals at $4 million) – Agreed to a two-year, $11.1 million contract that pays $4.2 million in 2026
• Kris Bubic (filed at $6.15 million, Royals at $5.15 million) – Bubic won hearing
• Tarik Skubal (filed at $32 million, Tigers at $19 million) – Skubal won hearing
• Joe Ryan (filed at $6.35 million, Twins at $5.85 million) – Agreed to $6.1 million contract with club option for 2027 at $13 million

Overall, 12 of the 18 players ended up going to hearings, with the players going 8-4 in those hearings. Six players, including William Contreras, were able to settle with the club prior to heading into the hearing. It was a good year for the players in 2026.

Dermis García. Wilkerman García. Raimfer Salinas. Antonio Cabello. Alexander Vargas. Oswald Peraza. Hans Montero. Hoy Park. Have you heard of them recently? Do you remember them?

A few of of them reached the majors, yes, or had moderate success in the minors in 2025, but in all fairness, their careers haven’t developed the way they wanted. Some fans might even include Brando Mayea and Roderick Arias in that group, but they still have a chance to have an MLB career. It’s important to note, however, that the former hasn’t made it out of the Complex League, and the latter had an 88 wRC+ in 465 plate appearances in Low-A last year — his second in a row there.

Those are some of the highest-profile international free agency busts in recent memory, with some of them collecting bonuses as high as $4 million. The Yankees’ system, however, was also damaged by the signings that didn’t take place, or the ones they lost through the years: it seems that, except for Jasson Domínguez, they haven’t had an amateur free agent making a real impact since maybe Luis Severino, and he was signed in 2011. One could certainly pick nits at Domínguez’s level of impact as well.

It’s hard to point the finger at the players in this group: they were 16 or 17 at the time of signing their contracts, getting hefty bonuses that changed their lives for better or for worse. They often fell victim to huge and unfair expectations for prospects of that age. In the end, their failure to establish themselves as major leaguers was hardly their fault. Of course, maybe one or two of that group could have achieved more and didn’t have the fortitude to make it happen. That’s baseball, Suzyn. However, the Yankees’ employees making the decisions and paying the bonuses on the team might have misjudged their talent and failed to give them the tools to succeed.

Those misses likely led to the organization parting ways with Donny Rowland, their director of international scouting since 2010. To replace him, the Yanks recently appointed Mario Garza, whose experience didn’t come in scouting per se, but instead, in player development and coaching.

Garza hopes to leverage that knowledge and experience into a solid job in his new position. He speaks Spanish and, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, learned how to build lasting relationships with Latin American players. The Yankees have a lot of ground to make up on the race to dominate the Latin American market, but they feel Garza’s ability to communicate and generate trust can result in more quality signings.

Garza is also willing to lean on smart, prepared people to reclaim their place as a preferred landing spot for Asian players. The West Coast teams—mainly the Dodgers—have nabbed most of the elite Japanese and Korean talent in the last few years, including some players the Yankees pursued, such as 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Reports that the Yankees added Matt Slater and Nao Masamoto to the mix are extremely positive. The former, who worked 18 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, is “very connected in Asia,” as Garza told Kuty. The latter became a key cog in the Cubs’ ability to recruit Asian players in recent seasons. Yu Darvish, Seiya Suzuki, and Shota Imanaga are some examples.

To make a long story short, the Yankees needed to implement some changes to their international scouting and player acquisition practices. And the moment they decided to take that step, everybody knew it was going to hurt for some time. Indeed, Rowland’s preexisting agreements with the latest IFA prospects, like Wandy Asigen, became unfortunate casualties.

It’s important to be patient, though, because changes of this magnitude often take time. We are talking about overhauling an entire system, modifying the way dozens of people work, and how they approach the young players, coaches, instructors, agents, and even their own scouts.

Right now, the Yankees are just starting to implement these changes, so expecting them to land top-notch talents immediately is not realistic. They did well to reach a pre-agreement with top international catcher Sebastián Pérez a few days ago, but they will have to actually get his signature on January 15, 2027, and it’s no longer just a formality with them. It has to happen before everyone can pop the champagne, with Pérez and other potential recruits for next year.

It’s also pertinent to point out that we are in the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. A contentious labor fight is on the horizon, and for all we know, the current controversial signing system could change (a draft was floated last time around). Nonetheless, the Yankees—and every MLB team—will still need quality scouting of Latin American and Asian talent anyway.

Changes needed to be made, and they finally happened. Now, patience is required.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

I’ve got good news and bad news for you, Orioles fans. The good news is that baseball is happening today! The O’s will play the Yankees in their Grapefruit League opener in Sarasota at 1:05. The game will be broadcast on MASN and WBAL radio as the Orioles return to the field after nearly five long months.

The bad news is Jordan Westburg’s murky injury status, which is hanging like a dark cloud over the early days of camp. As reported by The Baltimore Banner, Westburg — who was already sidelined by a sore oblique — had imaging done on his elbow, which indicates the possibility of a much more serious injury. The O’s haven’t announced a diagnosis for Westburg, but in general, when a player has pain in his elbow such that it requires imaging, it’s hard not to assume the worst-case scenario. The initials T.J. jump to mind, and I don’t mean Thomas Jefferson.

Again, nothing is official yet. Maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised and the imaging won’t reveal any serious damage to Westburg’s elbow. Even if that’s the case, though, he’s still got the oblique injury that will cost him some time, and he almost certainly won’t be ready for Opening Day, further weakening an O’s infield that will already have Jackson Holliday sidelined for a few weeks.

Newly acquired utility guy Blaze Alexander can’t fill both positions at once, which means the Orioles are either going to have to give Coby Mayo another shot at playing third base — something he’s struggled with throughout his minor and major league career — or they’ll need to make an emergency trade or free agent signing. I’ll note that former O’s Gold Glove third baseman Ramón Urías is available, having been non-tendered by the Astros in November, but there’s been no indication so far that the O’s are interested in a reunion.

The Orioles’ season isn’t over just because of Westburg’s injury, nor Holliday’s. There’s a full slate of spring training baseball and then 162 regular season games ahead of us. Still, after the 2025 Orioles were so badly ravaged by health problems that tanked their season, the fact that 2026 is starting with injuries to two key players is turning the spring vibes a little bit sour.

Links

Taking another look at possible position players, German impressed Alonso in live batting practice – School of Roch

I was racking my brain trying to think of what player the O’s had signed from Germany before I realized the headline was referring to Nestor German. I need more sleep.

Rogers will start Orioles’ Grapefruit League opener – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Don’t necessarily take this as a sign that Rogers will be starting on Opening Day for the Orioles. Case in point: the Yankees’ starting pitcher in this spring opener is Elmer Rodriguez.

Three reasons why – Kyle Bradish is vital for the 2026 Orioles – Steve Melewski

These all boil down to: Kyle Bradish is really good.

Jon Meoli: How did Jean Carlos Henriquez end up in Orioles camp after a decade out of baseball? His ‘brazo de goma’ – The Baltimore Banner

I had never heard of this particular non-roster invitee before Meoli’s article, but now I’m pulling for Henriquez all the way. What a baseball journey he’s been on.

Nelly, Vanilla Ice to perform at Camden Yards in Orioles’ concert series – The Baltimore Sun

Phew! What a lucky break that Vanilla Ice was available.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The two former Orioles with Feb. 20 birthdays are outfielder Julio Borbón (40) and the late right-hander Jim Wilson (b. 1922, d. 1986), an All-Star with the 1955-56 Birds.

On this day in 1990, the Orioles signed former Red Sox designated hitter Sam Horn. While Horn went on to put up decent numbers in three years in Baltimore, hitting 42 homers and posting a .797 OPS, he infamously struck out six times in one game on July 17, 1991, forever prompting a six-K game to be known as a “Horn.”

And on this day in 2017, the O’s signed free agent Craig Gentry. The veteran outfielder played 145 games in two seasons with the Birds, providing some defense but little in the way of offense, before calling it a career. The Orioles sure had some pointless signings near the end of the Dan Duquette era.

The end of the College of Coaches and other feel-good stories.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Today in baseball history:

• 1920 – The Chicago Cubs give an unconditional release to Lee Magee after having learned from him a week ago that he has been betting against his team. Magee will sue the Cubs for his salary of $4,500, charging that his livelihood as a ballplayer was destroyed through the sudden canceling of his contract. The Cubs will ask for a dismissal of the suit, saying that “previous to the making of the contract the plaintiff was guilty of betting against the team of which he was a member, and sought to win bets by intentional bad playing to defeat said team.” (2)
• 1929 – The Boston Red Sox announce they will play Sunday games (allowed for the first time in Boston) at Braves Field, because Fenway Park is located too close to a church. (1,2)
• 1943 – Chicago Cubs owner Philip Wrigley and Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey draw up charter for the “All-American Girls Softball League”, which will eventually become the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The league, originally conceived in the belief that the major leagues would suspend play because of World War II, will operate from 1943 to 1954 around the Chicago area. When the league changes its name and switches to hardball, the pitching distance is 40 feet and bases 68 feet apart. After struggling through poor attendance in its early seasons, the league will draw over one million fans in 1948. (1,2)
• 1953 – August A. Busch buys the St. Louis Cardinals from Fred Saigh for $3.75 million and pledges not to move the team from St. Louis, Missouri. (1,2)
• 1953 – The U.S. Court of Appeals rules that organized baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling. This effectively dismisses the antitrust suits of Jack Corbett and former Brooklyn Dodgers minor leaguer Walter Kowalski. The $300,000 suit of Corbett, the owner of the El Paso Texans, is based on his belief that he lost money when Major League Baseball prohibited him from signing several players suspended for participation in the Mexican League. Kowalski’s $150,000 suit is based on the general principles of the antitrust and restraint-of-trade laws. Their lawyer in these cases is Frederic Johnson, who also represents player Danny Gardella in his suit against Major League Baseball. (2)
• 1963 – The Chicago Cubs put an end to their radical “College of Coaches” system and hire Bob Kennedy* as manager. Under Kennedy, the Cubs will sport a respectable record of 82-80. (2)
• 1992 – The episode of the animated series The Simpsons entitled “Homer at the Bat” gets its first broadcast on FOX. In the episode, Springfield Nuclear Plant owner C. Montgomery Burns hires a team of major league ringers in order to win a bet he placed on a softball game against a rival businessman. In the end, though, it’s the hapless Homer Simpson who saves the day with a walk-off hit-by-pitch. A number of contemporary major league stars, many of them future Hall of Famers lend their voices and likeness to the show, which is considered one of the classic episodes of the series. (2)

• 2015 – Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announces a series of measures to quicken the pace of the game. Chief among them are that a batter will need to keep at least one foot in the batter’s box at all times during an at-bat, and that the intermission between half innings will be strictly timed. Pitchers will be required to complete their warm-up pitches before there are only 30 seconds left before resumption of play, or risk forfeiting any unmade pitches. More dramatic changes, such as adding a pitch clock, are not introduced at this time. Violation of the new guidelines will result in fines, and not in game-related penalties. (2)
• 2025 – The first day of spring training games also marks the introduction of the ball and strike challenge system at the major league level, although there are no plans to use it in regular season games this year. There is a scary moment in the Cactus League game between the Dodgers and the Cubs as Dodgers P Bobby Miller is hit on the side of the head by a hard line drive off the bat of Michael Busch. Miller has to exit the game and is placed in the concussion protocol, but it seems that he has escaped serious injury.

Cubs Birthdays:Frankie Gustine, Jesus Figueroa, Ryan Sweeney, Julio Borbon, Spencer Patton. Also notable: Sam Rice HOF.

Today in history:

• 1472 – Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a dowry payment.
• 1792 – US postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance.
• 1933 – US House of Representatives completes congressional action to repeal Prohibition.
• 1942 – Lt E.H. “Butch” O’Hare single-handedly shoots down five Japanese heavy bombers, becomes America’s first World War II flying ace.
• 1952 – Emmett Ashford is certified to be first black umpire in organized baseball; has to wait until 1966 for MLB debut.
• 1959 – Jimi Hendrix (age 16), rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig in the Temple De Hirsch synagogue basement, Seattle; fired from the band after the first set due to “wild” playing.
• 1962 – John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• (6) — Wikipedia.
• (7) — The British Museum
• (8) — For world history.

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

Welcome to the last Friday without Phillies baseball for a while. Well, that’s not strictly true: there’ll be a Friday off after the home opener. But you know what I mean.

Onto the links.

Phillies news:

For those of us lucky enough to go to Clearwater, the Phillies announced the fan amenities you can expect at BayCare Ballpark.

The Phillies’ new-look bullpen is off to a good start.

For a while, J.T. Realmuto thought his 2026 would see him wearing different colors.

MLB news

Jazz Chisholm isn’t content with just having the coolest name in baseball: he also wants to join Shohei Ohtani in the 50-50 Club.

Uniform nerds, rejoice (to be clear, I count myself among your ranks): the Tigers have unveiled a pair of alternate uniforms.

Davy Andrews of FanGraphs has an unusual, but highly timely question: which ballplayers would be good at ice dancing? ($)